Peter Kalambayi

BIOGRAPHY

Peter Mukeba Kalambayi was born on June 26th, 1995, in Raleigh, North Carolina. He plays linebacker for the Houston Texans in the NFL. In his early years, Kalambayi attended Butler High School where he was a five-star recruit by PrepStar and a four-star recruit by Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN. He was the nation’s the 79th-best overall player by PrepStar, 97th by Rivals and 131st by Scout, the nation’s seventh-best outside linebacker by Rivals, 10th by PrepStar and the nation’s sixth-best middle linebacker by Scout, eighth-best inside linebacker by 247Sports. Kalambayi led the team to undefeated seasons and 4AA state titles in 2009, 2011 and 2012, and in 2013 he was selected to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. 

After he finished high school, Kalambayi committed to the University of Stanford where he played college football. After not seeing action as a freshman in 2013, Kalambayi entered his sophomore season in 2014, playing 13 games and recording 32 tackles, where 19 weer solo, 9.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. In his career debut against Uc Davis, Kalambayi recorded one tackle and 1 interception and at Washington, he recorded six tackles, five coming solo and 3.0 sacks for a loss of 35 yards, becoming the first Cardinal with 3.0 sacks in a single game since Shayne Skov in 2011 Orange Bowl. He also was the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week on September 29th. As a junior in 2015, Kalambayi played in 14 games, recording 52 tackles, 4.5 sacks and 3 passes defended. He made his first career start at Northwestern where he recorded 12 tackles and in the Rose Bowl against Iowa, he recorded 4 tackles, 1.0 sacks, and 1 pass breakup. He finished the season as a Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention, on the Butkus Award watch list, as a Phil Steele All-Pac-12 preseason third-team, and as an Athlon All-Pac-12 preseason second-team. As a senior in 2016, Kalambayi played and started 13 games as a team captain, recording 45 tackles, where 29 were solo, 6.0 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and two pass breakups. He finished the season as a Phil Steele All-Pac-12 preseason first-team, as an Athlon All-Pac-12 preseason second-team and on the Butkus Award watch list. In his fifth-year at Stanford in 2017, Kalambayi played 14 games as a team captain, recording 61 tackles, where 31 were solo, 7.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, and one pass breakup. In the Pac-12 Championship against USC, he recorded 3 solo tackles and in the Alamo Bowl against TCU, he recorded 3 solo tackles and 1.0 tackle for loss. He finished the season in the Butkus Award watch list, as a Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention and as a National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Hampshire Honor Society. 

After his fifth-year at Stanford, Kalambayi entered the 2018 NFL Draft where he was selected in the sixth round by the Houston Texans. He signed with the Denver Broncos in 2021.